Howling Bells

[Welsh Rich]

This is going to be my first review for a new magazine in Cambridge, so any comments would be gratefully received!

 

The Howling Bells storm the quiet and sleepy Soul Tree in Cambridge on a Monday night where all the kids are up the road watching The Kooks rip off Cast. They would have been better paying half the fee and watching a live band that, at the moment, are at the very top of their game.

 

Unfortunately the support band, The Veils, are a no show... No one's even sure where they are, but as the small crowd edge slowly towards the small stage, the DJ cuts the filler and what looks like a cowboy posse; the drummer wears a Stetson, lead singer Juanita Stein wears a rather fetching pair of cowboy boots and the rest of the band are all decked out in black denim and boots.

 

The set begins with the album opener "Bell Hit" and at once you're struck by how good Juanita's voice is live. Not as clean and as crystal clear as on record, but powerful and direct, sounding less like the obvious comparisons with PJ Harvey and picking up more on their Americana influences. The sound tonight is superb, the acoustics really complimenting the music.

 

All bar one of the tracks, "Cities" come from their impressive debut and away from the record they sound darker, less polished and all the better for it. Lead guitarist Joel Stein is like a man possessed; caressing the guitar, contorting it into different sounds using the vast array of peddles and effects at his feet. Highlights tonight are the single "Wishing Stone" which is still the best track PJ Harvey has never recorded and "Blessed Night" which comes across more eerie and haunting than on record. As a live act you can tell they've been touring continuously and yet they don't seem to be bored of the songs yet, the band are enjoying themselves on stage, commenting on the intimate nature of the venue. The crowd seem a little odd tonight, there's a little bit of banter but Juanita is more than up to it. A quick quip about the band being around after the set to sign t-shirts gets a reply from a gentleman indicating that he'd only have one if free. Her response, quick and delivered in almost a drawl, is "Nothing is free, baby". With their wild-west look this evening, I think she'd make a pretty good gun-slinger and one I wouldn't want to go up against.

 

[Albert Tatlock]

Reads fine to me. Good luck!

 

Edit:

 

"They would have been better paying"

 

- They would have been better off paying

 

or

 

- They would have done better paying

 

??

[Welsh Rich]

Andrew!